Babylon 5 Night Earthers
by Nyt Yanse
Summary: John Sheridan is a vampire and they have needs. DARKFIC!
1. Chapter 1

Characters: Sheridan, Ivanova, Garibaldi, Delenn, Lennier, Sinclair, Lochley, Franklin.

Rating: M.

Disclaimer: I don't own it. I don't get money from it. Sue me and I'll laugh. And hide.

Warnings: AU. Vampirism, mentions of torture, blood drinking, cannabilism, strong sexuality with talk of non-con.

Spoilers: Aside from Sheridan coming to Babylon 5 and Sinclair going to Minbar none.

Summary: John Sheridan is a vampire. He needs to feed. And yes, Vampires are sexy as hell in this world.

Author's Note: I do not think that I can do a better, equal or even passable imitation of The Great Maker Stracysnski. This is just for fun. _Upyr_ is the Old Russian word for Vampire. I looked it up on Wikipedia. Plus, I'll admit, the basic idea for this came from L.J Smith's series Night World. This is not an actual crossover story but I'll admit where the idea came from. It's a brilliant series.

***

John stretched out on his couch. Well, what was now his couch. A transfer. Nice. He was just getting completely settled on the Agamemnon. He had friends, he was comfortable with the technology and he had a veritable buffet...

Now he was on Babylon 5. Great. First things first. He needed a blood donor.

Susan Ivanova was seated across from him, talking about the situation with Santiago. John couldn't have cared less. One more dead human was just one less human to worry about. Suddenly he felt a rumbling in his stomach. Ivanova heard it and broke, smiling.

"Hungry Sir?"

"Starving."

"Well, I could arrange for something to be brought here for you-"

"That won't be necessary." The moment Ivanova looked at his eyes in confusion, John reeled her in.

That's how he thought of it anyway. It felt like pulling a string and getting what was on the end. Her mind came to him quickly. Well, it would. He'd fed on her a few times before, on Io. She had never actually been a blood donor but he'd had so many people around him he couldn't help but indulge himself.

And he needed to indulge himself again. He was starving.

He tweaked her mind and she stood up, gaze still unfocused. At his unspoken command she removed her jacket. After a moment of consideration he also made her remove her shirt. She stood before him, clad in her trousers and bra. He briefly wished he had the time to feed properly, to seduce her and penetrate her body both ways but he didn't have the time. He'd have to eat and go.

He made her straddle his lap and lean against his body. He smirked. Human women were so much fun to play with. He nuzzled her neck for a minute and almost couldn't control himself at the smell of her blood surging through the artery oh so tantalizingly close to his teeth. His teeth slid out, sharp and pointy. His eyes, he knew, were glowing. He surely had the time to do this properly, to undress her and arouse her, feed on her sweet juices as her body accepted his seed, taste the biological chemicals of sexuality in her heated and surging blood as he brought the both of them to completion-

No. He did not have the time. Just a snack to keep him going.

He bit into her shoulders. It was the area with the most blood and the highest healing rate, especially when combined with vampire saliva. In a few hours there wouldn't be any physical marks. He felt the usual thrill of power and lust as her blood spilled into her mouth. For those few seconds he knew every inch of her. He knew her deepest fears, her darkest fantasies, the things she dreamed at night in her sleep where she thought she was safe from violation of any form...

Safe. Ha. She'd never be safe from him. He had her, now and forever. She was his. Or she would be when he had time to fulfil the mind-bonding later. For now, he had to wrap this up.

It only took a few gulps of the rich, dark ambrosia before John's need was filled. He wasn't hungry anymore. If he'd had the time he would have sipped her blood slowly, drawn the experience out for hours, but there was no such time. He gulped what he needed and licked her wound a few times until the puncture holes were sealed by clotting.

He sighed. Variety had not been on the Agamemnon. The one thing about his assignment there that wasn't brilliant. Yeah, he had literally hundreds of crewmen and he fed from all of them but they all ate the same things and breathed the same air so their blood tasted the same, beyond the subtle nuances of individuality. The lack of real variety was disappointing. There would be such variety here.

He brought his head off Ivanova's shoulders. Her eyes were still unfocused, her breathing heavy. Even without the extra bonding there was still a great deal of sexuality in being bit. Hence why John loved it. No-one could resist him. No-one.

He gently tweaked her mind a bit more, until she once again stood before him, dressed, with her wound hidden by her jacket. Taking a moment to wipe the smidgen of blood from his mouth, he smiled.

"Never remember. Except in your dreams. Never forget me then. I'll be with you always."

***

Ivanova walked back into Sheridan's quarters. She wanted to check on him after his hectic first day. For a moment, as she stepped off the transport tube, she felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. She held her hand to the wall and gulped as she felt nausea wash over her. After a few moments it abated and she continued to her CO's quarters, wondering. Was it that she hadn't eaten properly that morning? Or was it simply that she'd been stressed?

Either way, she was there. She hit the call button- only to have the door slide open just as her fingers touch the panel.

"Hello Susan. Come in." Susan entered, frowning. How had he known it was her? "Sit down." The room was very dark, Susan could barely see where she was going. She managed to make her way to the couch without banging her legs on anything. The door slid shut, leaving her with barely enough light to see the room. Over in the corner she heard movement and Captain Sheridan stepped forward.

There was something about him in the half light in which she couldn't really see him that seemed... different. Wrong, somehow. He stalked forward (and stalked really was the only term for how he moved) and in a surprisingly short amount of time for someone who wasn't moving as if rushed he was standing in front of her. Looking at her face, she knew. His eyes seemed to rake over her features and she got the sense that he was... feeding on her looks. As if her appearance was some kind of dish he was indulging in. She shifted in her seat.

"Did you want something Susan?" He asked. "You came here for a reason I'm guessing." Wait a minute- why had she come here? It had seemed the most natural thing in the world to do but now... She had no idea why she'd come. What she was doing here. She stood up, about to apologize and leave quickly when he said, "Sit."

Instantly she obeyed. Then stared at her legs in the half-darkness. Why had they practically caved like that? She hadn't meant to sit so why did she? She looked up at him again, just as he activated the lights wordlessly.

His face seemed even more wrong now that she could see it than it did before. There was just something she couldn't describe. Then he suddenly smiled and said, "Susan. I'm a vampire."

Her mind grounded to a halt. "Wha- what?" She couldn't have heard him right.

"A vampire. Like in the old stories, except... not. Vampires don't get made, we're born that way. Four sentient species developed on Earth, alongside Humans. The Night Earthers. Vampires, Witches, Shapeshifters and Werewolves." Susan was about ready to faint. "Your kind knows our kind as storybook monsters made up to frighten children. Well, we're real. I'm real. I need blood, or I'll go crazy. I'd like you to be one of my blood donors."

"One- One of-"

"Yeah. I need at least two healthy Human adults to feed on. It's the best way to avoid accidently draining one of them dry. The more the better, naturally. I had all of the crew of the Agamemnon offering their necks to me every day."

"OK." Said Susan, coming to a decision. "I think I should call Stephen, I realize that the transfer and what happened earlier was a lot of stress..."

She went to the door- only it didn't open. She turned around, intending to confront Sheridan- Only to find him standing directly behind her. His body was almost flush with hers, his face looming just above hers. She jumped backwards in shock and banged into the door. She stared at his face as it began to... change. His eyes glowed red, his irises expanding. His cheeks and forehead seemed to ripple and his teeth...

Boujemoius. His teeth- were the teeth of a predator. His canines were long, like a snake. They were already halfway down his chin. His body seemed to swell a bit and a sound, what could only be a growl, seemed to slide out from his lips. And then it all made sense.

"Upyr." She mumbled, remembering the old stories her grandmother had told her in Russia. The stories of the upyri, demons who consumed blood to live. Demons that tainted the soul and consumed the bodies of children... And she was trapped in a room with one. She screamed.

"Upyr! UPYR!!!" She turned around and slapped at the door, still screaming. Someone had to hear, surely, someone could come and save her, surely...

Hands with a grip like vices grabbed her arms and the demonic Captain held her in place as she screamed and struggled. He was going to feed on her, he was going to kill her, he was going to turn her into what he was, he was going to steal her soul, he was going to destroy her soul... She continued to struggle, trying to shift his hands but he was too strong. She couldn't make him move. He was like a statue.

She struggled and screamed until her body collapsed. Tears ran down her face and her breath came in desperate sobs. She wanted to keep fighting but she couldn't. She'd exhausted herself with all her screaming and fighting. Her body was limp.

"Now," he started again, "while I have your attention, allow me to explain something. I'm not some kind of ancient demon. I'm not a million years old. I don't turn into mists or bats. I don't sleep in soil or a coffin. I can't bring someone back from the dead. I'm not immortal, nor completely invincible. Most of the ancient stories about vampires, chubakabra, upyri and so on are hysterically exaggerated fictions about my ancestors combined with the natural fears of losing the soul. It's nothing real. I'm a living being just like you. But I need to drink about 4 pints of blood per day, ideally. At least two donors, preferably more. I'd like you to be one of them. I promise you I won't be affecting your soul or turning you into something else. It won't even weaken you, once your body gets used to it. I don't want to hurt you or anyone else. But if I don't get enough blood I will go into a blood heat. I will attack anything with oxygenated mammalian blood. Rip it apart. I've seen it happen before. Believe me, you don't want that happening here."

Susan shuddered. She couldn't let this creature feed on her. She didn't care what he said, he was unholy!

John felt her mind turn from him. She wasn't going to agree. Oh well. He'd tried.

Once again he reached into her mind, this time seizing control of her mind. He implanted the natural suggestions, to trust him, to love him, to not fear the darkness...

He felt her body melt against his. Her soft flesh moulding to the harsh angles of his body. Her mind did the same, collapsing around his. She was his.

"Master." She murmured. She titled her head to the side, presenting her neck. "Take of me Master. Be in me." He smirked. Another human under his will. He carried her to his bedroom where he spent the night penetrating her mind and neck and body, hours of pleasure. Susan screamed in unbearable pleasure, pleasure that burned away everything but the urge to hold on to him. Her nails sank into his back as his teeth bit into her neck, her legs wrapped around his hips as he thrust into her, her mind dissolving into his as he violated every inch of her. She was his. She was _his_.

***

Michael struggled to consciousness. His head felt heavy, thick. He could barely focus his eyes. Somehow he got his eyes open and focusing on...

Susan Ivanova. Standing next to his bed looking very relieved. "Hey Michael. How're you doing?"

"Doesn't matter. Did you stop them? They're gonna kill the president."

"Michael, the President is dead. ISN is reporting it as an accident with the jump engines."

"No, no I gotta talk to Jeff-"

"No can do. The Commander's been reassigned to Minbar as the new Ambassador."

"What? I leave for five minutes and the whole place goes to hell!"

"Well, I hope I can change that." Michael looked to his left and saw something that made his heart stop. "Captain John Sheridan, your new CO."

"I don't know you." Muttered Michael, but every cell in his body was screaming at him. He knew this man, or at least what he was. He was the same thing as before. He was evil.

"Not yet." The creature wearing EarthForce Officer's Blue looked into his eyes. John knew he knew. And Michael could see that John knew he knew.

After several more minutes of edgy conversation the Captain left. He had business to attend to. Michael wondered if his business involved someone's neck.

"Stephen, wait." He said as the Doctor that had been in the corners of the room went to leave. Susan was already gone. "I gotta tell you something...

I used to work security patrol on Mars. One night I was working a solo shift in one of the least dangerous areas of that city. I wasn't expecting any trouble so when I was knocked out it didn't register that something was up until a few moments after I regained consciousness. I was in a basement, somewhere. I never knew where. There were two other guys, one a GROPO from the local barracks and one a shopkeeper. There were also eight girls, all young. Teenagers. We were all kept in a room... And none of us could move. Oh, we could drink from the water glasses left by our beds and we could move our eyes but other than that- we couldn't stand up. Or sit up. We couldn't talk. And couldn't fight _them_ off when they came.

Five or six of them. I was never sure, the room was too dark to make anything out for sure. All I knew is that there were a lot of them. And they were all male. They looked Human but they were... wrong. Evil. The first night I woke up, when they came in, one of them came straight up to me and lay down on top of me. And it... bit me. My neck.

I could feel my blood gushing out of me and he was drinking it. I know it sounds like he was just insane, a cannibal, but it was more than that. It hurt my mind. It... It _raped_ my mind. I couldn't get it to stop. It just kept pushing in and hurting me. And they did it to all of us. The girls, the oldest couldn't have been more than 16, they raped them. Physically, I mean. It would go on for hours. Every night. I couldn't call out, I couldn't run away. I couldn't try and help the girls, who were bleeding.

They all died. The girls all bled to death one after the other from the rapes. Whenever one of them went, the things that had us would let something else in. Big, hulking... I couldn't see it properly. It never came near me. It went straight to whichever girl had died and tore their bodies open. I saw... It ate them. Some of them anyway, it didn't eat their entire bodies. Then, once it was done it'd go and what was left of the body would just be left there to rot. The other men just drifted away. The things took too much blood, their bodies couldn't handle it. Finally, I was the only one left. The night after the others all died all of the monsters came and fed off me at the same time. For hours, they drank slowly to keep me alive. I passed out, convinced I wouldn't wake up. I liked the idea.

The next thing I knew I was lying in a transport. Jeff Sinclair was leaning over me. He told me that the things that had attacked me were all dead and that me local station had assumed I'd gone AWOL again and fired me without bothering to look for me. Jeff offered me a position here on Babylon 5. I was too dazed to understand anything so I just agreed and passed out. When I woke up I was at the home of my girlfriend at the time, Lise. She said she'd found me on her apartment steps in bloodstained clothes without a scratch on me. She told me that I'd been fired but almost immediately hired for security on some station. We argued and I left. When I got here and saw Jeff again I asked him what had happened to me. He said it was far better I didn't know, but that the men who'd hurt me were gone. He said I had to keep quiet about what had happened. He promised to protect me if anything like that happened again.

Now he's gone and this new CO... He's the same as the things that attacked me. I'm sure of it."

***

John sighed. Yesterday Ambassador Delenn had come out of her chrysalis and came to the council meeting. She was half human now. She had hair. She was beautiful. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. John sat up on his couch. He expanded his mind to check the other side of the door to identify his visitor... And smirked.

Earthy, wild, disorganized... The feel of teeth ripping into flesh, the feel of bare feet racing along grass towards prey, a huge silver moon tantalizing the thoughts, the mind of a killer...

The mind of a werewolf. A very familiar one.

"Come in Lochley." He said, sitting up.

In she came, blazing as ever. John looked at her and felt the same as he always had when he saw her. Intensely aroused. Werewolves being one of the only species that wasn't even slightly affected by Vampire powers, he couldn't control her. He couldn't make her want him. So the fact that she did want him, and would accept any excuse to throw him onto the nearest relatively flat surface so they could ravish and savage each other felt almost like a gift. An incredibly exciting one... Even if he was walking funny for several hours afterwards.

She was tall and solidly built, but at the same time, graceful. Unusual for a werewolf. Usually they were all big chucky muscles. And ugly. But Elizabeth Lochley was beautiful. Wild brown hair that was permanently in a mess, brown eyes that shone with viciousness and instinct. Every muscle trained to kill. Every sense trained to hunt. Perfection in werewolf form.

She walked forward and leapt onto his lap. She seized him by the neck and kissed him, shoving her tongue into his mouth. He bit her tongue and threw her off. She landed several feet away, instantly getting to her feet. She streaked forward too fast for human eyes to follow. Not vampire eyes. John followed her movements with ease and easily hit her as she came to a stop. Her head jerked back. She wiped the blood that trickled down her chin and grinned. Then she leapt again.

John let her land on him, wanting her too much to continue their game. Her teeth sank into his chest as she ripped off his shirt. He easily picked her up and carried her to his bedroom. Dropping her on the bed he pulled his trousers off. He threw himself on her and the next three hours were nothing more than fangs and claws and two bodies moving together as one and hair being pulled out by the roots...

He did love it when she came to stay.

When they were done, John turned to her. "So? Why'd you come?"

"Council sent me." She said.

The Night Earthers' Council. The most senior member of the First Family of the Vampires; their royalty. Currently that was Neville Jehov. The strongest Werewolf of the time, which at the moment was Kelly... No, Richard.... No, Jerry... He thought anyway. It changed so often, whenever another werewolf successfully challenged, fought and won against the current Alpha Wolf. 10 Shapeshifter representatives, fairly elected into position. And the 9 oldest, the 9 most maternally prolific and the 9 youngest female witches (who had reached the age maturity) all ruled together. They set down rules and gave punishments. They controlled all of the Night Earthers. They were the ultimate power among the Night Earthers.

"They want you to do them a favour."

"They have only to command me." Vampires always followed the oldest and most royally born Vampire. Neville was both the most royally born and, as of the death of John's own Great-Great-Grandfather, the oldest living vampire. His word was sacrament to John.

"They want you to feed on the Minbari Ambassador. The old laws about not feeding on Humans for Vampires and Werewolves are... hindering our movements into space, which we know we must do. We need to know if there are any alien species out there we can live on. Since she's now half human they figured that if Minbari blood was unsuitable you could tell by biting her without putting yourself at risk. They think, anyway. King Neville told me to pass along a message. If you really don't want to do this... there are others..."

"No. I'll do it. I accept that there are risks, but if I can do this... It will help our people. I'll do it." Lochley grinned, sharp teeth glinting. "However, there is one thing... If I can feed on her and if it works, I'd like to enslave her to my will. If it's possible." Lochley raised her head to look at him. "Yeah, technically our people aren't allowed to enslave aliens but, if I'm permitted to feed on her, I should think that it would be best to enslave her too." Lochley considered this.

"Very true. Tell you what, while you put yourself in position, I'll check with the Council to confirm. I'll give you the go ahead before you go in, just to be safe."

John nodded. Tonight was going to be fun.

***

John stood in the corridor. He was several turns from the entrance to Delenn's quarters. He'd already walked past with his senses on high alert and had quickly identified the minds inside... Delenn and Lennier. He needed the little aide to leave. He stood there, casually leaning against the wall. All of his senses were attuned to his surroundings. He could feel the hallway. He could feel the minds of the various beings that breathed in the quarters and walked past him in the corridors. And he could feel it the moment Lennier left the quarters for his own.

Smiling grimly he walked towards Delenn's quarters. He was barely a few feet away when he telepathically nudged the computer. The door swished open.

John entered and looked around. The quarters were very Minbari. Spartan and filled with chimes and triangles. There were movements from the next room. The bedroom. "Lennier, what is wrong? Did you forget something...?" Then she came out.

They stood and looked at each other from across the room. Delenn was even more beautiful now than she was before. Strong and delicate. His favourite combination. All he'd have to do would be to put a tiny bit of pressure on exactly the right spot and she'd be his. And he'd enjoy every inch of her.

"Captain Sheridan! What are you doing here?" She demanded. "How did you get in here?" He smiled. She shivered. John felt her blood begin to quicken, a feeling that immediately aroused him. Fear and sexual arousal were the two things that made blood taste the sweetest. If he played it right he'd get both in her. And she'd be the best thing he'd tasted since his first mouthful taken from a human's neck over 100 years ago. "Leave!" She snapped. "Now!"

John smiled again. And pulled her mind to him.

She came to him quicker than anything he'd ever felt. Her mind melded with him on a level he'd never experienced before. He could even slip into her mind and see what she saw, hear what she heard, feel what she... hmm.

He sent a wave of physical pleasure to her. She gasped and her legs buckled. She grabbed the edge of the door she was standing next to and managed to hold herself in position. The next wave sent her to the floor.

John stood there and sent wave after wave at her, revelling in her sensations of pleasure she'd never felt before... truly. She'd never even kissed anyone and now she was experiencing pleasure a nymphomaniac couldn't even dream of. Her body trembled and heaved, her breaths coming and going in gasps and whimpers. Her eyes rolled in their sockets and her fingers and toes danced with the ebb and flow of the mental heat. John continued to send the waves, continued to throw them at her, more and more powerful until her whole body was thrumming with them. Pleasure beyond anything, pleasure beyond what the physical body was capable of producing... Her world became nothing but pleasure.

Suddenly, the door chime went off. John whirled around, ready to kill whoever interrupted this... Lennier. The silly naive little man had come back. John looked down at Delenn. Her face was flushed and her body still trembled. Her eyes were open again, staring at him. Fear and arousal mixed together. She was terrified and exalted to a point she couldn't understand. She couldn't move. John smirked.

As the door chime repeated itself John sank into the shadows of the bedroom. He slipped into Delenn's mind and forced her body to move. Her terror increased as her body, completely against her will, moved to stand. She quickly fixed her appearance, smoothing her hair and clothes, wiping the tears of arousal from her face. All against her will.

When she looked presentable she called the door to open. Lennier came in, nearly panicking. Had she hurt herself? Had she collapsed? Why'd she take so long to answer?

John easily fielded the questions from safe in his little alcove of darkness. He spoke through Delenn, who couldn't so much as twitch her finger. Lennier never even knew he was there as he and Delenn/John spoke of trivial work matters. Lennier could tell something was wrong, John knew that. He asked her if she was alright 6 times. He knew something wasn't right. But Delenn/John finally told him that she was _fine_ and she needed to _sleep_ and these work details could wait for the _morning_....

Lennier left, shooting concerned glances over his shoulder.

John directed her body to walk back into her bedroom. He looks her up and down. Her body was graceful, slight, like a nymph. She had gentle curves, just John's preference, and skin like milk. The urge to grab her and ravish her was so strong he could barely control himself as he reached out for the folds of her sleeping robe and began to undo them. The trousers came off quite easily, sliding to the floor in a pool of material, but her top wouldn't budge. Giving up, John ripped it off in one small movement... Revealing her body to him.

The milky pureness of her skin was only more perfect in her secret places. Aside from her head there was no hair anywhere else on her body. No freckles or moles, birthmarks or scars, no imperfections of any kind... Her body shone.

His teeth and member now loudly insisting that the foreplay be damned and just penetrate her already, John fought down instinct and had Delenn's body move forward and begin to undress him as he went deeper into her mind. Deeper and deeper until he could see everything. What he had experienced with Susan earlier could never compare to this.

He knew every nano second of her life, every thought and every sensation. It was a part of him now, as was she. It was no large feat for him to reach into her mind and grab hold. And somehow he knew... she was his on a level that he'd never owned someone before.

Finally they were both naked and John, his member literally pulsing with desire, guided Delenn into her bedroom. He looked at her once more, still a virgin, still physically pure... and knew she'd never know the touch of another man. She was his.

He lunged and penetrated her; mind, neck and sex. His mind and his fangs and his member thrust deeper into her than even he thought was possible. They both were flung onto the bed by the force of his jump. Delenn arched under him, her mouth open and ready to scream. With the slightest thought he made her close her mouth. No need to alert the neighbours and get more interruptions.

He continued to thrust every part of his being into her and to pull at her; her breast under one hand, her hip under another, his jaw clamped tight on her neck... he wanted them to be one. For almost an hour he and Delenn were nothing more than one pulsating heaving movement of pleasure. Delenn whimpered and moaned constantly, the feelings beyond anything she'd ever known was even slightly possible. There was no struggle now, no horror or fear, no need for control. Delenn's mind and heart and body and soul belonged to John Sheridan. She revelled in it.

Finally, John was finished. He'd drunk more than enough to prove, not only was Minbari blood non-poisonous but... It was stronger than anything he'd ever known. It was richer. It was powerful. And with the Minbari ability to survive greater blood loss than humans...

The Council would be pleased.

John picked up his clothes from the floor and looked at Delenn. Her body was stretched out on the bed, her hands still clutching the sheets desperately. Her chest heaved and her eyes fluttered, then opened. They looked directly at him and he saw into her soul. She was his. He turned to leave and then, smirking, sent a wave of pleasure bigger than any he'd sent before. He left the room, and Delenn spent the rest of the night writhing on her bed, gasping and whimpering and moaning, desperate for his touch to burn her again...

John got back to his quarters to find Lochley ready to go and waiting for him. She raised an eyebrow at the look on his face. "That good, huh?"

"Better. You can tell the Council that Minbari blood is better than Human. And their minds are far easier to manipulate."

"They'll be glad to hear that." She smirked. "So, what are you going to do for the rest of the night?" He smirked.

Lochley left for Earth, carrying a message that could destroy several cultures.

Lennier stayed awake all night, thinking of the unusual look in Delenn's eyes.

Michael stayed up all night, thinking of the torment he'd experienced at the hands of the things on Mars.

John spent the whole night in his room, mentally fucking Susan and Delenn over and over and over again until both women were screaming into their pillows, begging him to come and save them from their cold torment alone. He laughed as he brought their minds together, as he watched them mind fuck each other and engaged in it himself, the pleasure high enough to thrill even him. He'd get more donors. Many more. Human and Minbari. And at night they'd all do this for hours, hell they'd do it for days... And John would rule his new kingdom.

Jeffrey Sinclair lay in his room...

***

...And thought.

His body was covered in his own light brown fur. His claws were long and tapered. His eyes, a startling yellow, looked dreamily around his room.

Jeffrey Sinclair was a Shapeshifter. One of the most accomplished... He was not only able to shift into a faux human that was indistinguishable from real humans but he was also one of the few that could sprout wings or gills. His abilities were praised by Shapeshifters everywhere.

And right now, this Shapeshifting genius missed his human companions. More specifically, Michael Garibaldi.

Ever since he'd saved the man from a group of seven rogue vampires and one rogue werewolf on Mars, Jeff had been ordered to keep an eye on Michael. If he told anyone what he saw he'd have to die... exposure could not be allowed...

As time passed Jeff grew to really like the man. He considered him a friend and now...

Now he was lying in MedBay. Having nearly died. And facing the same kind of thing that had traumatised him.

Jeff knew that John would never do that. If there was one thing John lived for it was keeping the secret of the Night Earthers. Kidnapping and slavery and letting a werewolf go all out on the bodies... John would never do that. And Jeff had told him to keep his fangs away from Michael. But Michael would know what he was. He'd know, and he'd worry. And if anything would convince him to break his word to Jeff and tell someone what happened to him it would be the constant threat of having it happen again.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Quickly, Jeff shifted back into his Human form. His bones clicked and shifted, his muscles and sinews migrated and rolled under his skin and after only a few moments Jeffrey Sinclair the Human sat on the floor.

He quickly stood up and answered the door, revealing the aged figure of Satai Rathenn, the old Minbari sent to be his go between. A good man, Jeff knew. He'd like him.

As they both left for Jeff's office, Rathenn covertly studied the Human. He'd thought from the moment they'd first met that there was something about him. Something in the way he moved that spoke of primal instinct. Of a prowling animal. Rathenn could only wonder.

Jeff hoped he'd never know. Because then he'd have to kill him.


	2. Chapter 2

Characters: Sheridan, Ivanova, Garibaldi, Delenn, Lennier, Sinclair, Talia, Corwin, William Cole, Neroon, Zack Allan, Jack Maynard.

Rating: M.

Disclaimer: I don't own it. I don't get money from it. Sue me and I'll laugh. And hide.

Warnings: AU. Vampirism, violence, slight madness, sex, SLASH.

Spoilers: None. Takes place during the events of A Distant Star but is too AU for anything to be called spoilerish.

Summary: Lennier begins to research his suspicions after another donor of Sheridan's visits the station.

Authour's Note: Let me know what you think! PS My sister's still home so updating may not be as regular as I'd like. Sorry!

***

Susan moaned helplessly. John's tongue slipped into the tiny holes in her neck and she felt it as it undulated inside her neck. His member was thrust deeper into her body as his mind raked over hers. Some of his mind. The rest was away-

With Delenn.

In her own bedroom, on the floor as she had fallen out of her bed when John touched her mind, Delenn twitched weakly. Her body thrummed as John reached into every corner and crevasse, clutching at her mind and plunging into her deepest mental recesses. Never before had Delenn been so naked before another and John wasn't even here. He was halfway across the station and his mind was melded to her body more intimately than her own had been most of her life. She couldn't have resisted him even if she'd wanted to. And she didn't want to.

John's pleasure senses vibrated happily. He'd felt pleasure before but Susan and Delenn were unlike any he'd experienced. They were both so intense...

He felt as Susan's body arced in desperation. The wrong kind. Her near-constant orgasms were preventing her from breathing properly. Delenn was headed the same way. If he didn't stop soon they'd both suffocate.

With a weary sigh, he decided to take a break. He pulled out of Delenn's mind, and left the Minbari Ambassador lying on her floor, shivering, unclothed in the cool air. She crawled up her bed, tears of loss pouring down her face. She wanted him back.

He brought Susan to her ultimate orgasm and pulled out of her. She lay back, chest heaving. She would have moaned in disappointment if she could get the strength. As it was, all she could do was breath and hope he'd continue soon.

As he waited for his two play toys to regain their breath so he could continue he remembered something.

"Susan? I'm going to need your help tomorrow. The Cortez will be coming in for a few days of R+R. Her Captain, Jack Maynard, is an old friend of mine. One of my first Blood Donors who I got on my own without needing my parents help. I'd like to feed on him quickly to renew the bond but I'll need you to sort it so that Sergeant Allan is the one assigned to the Docking Bay security." Susan looked confused. "Don't ask pet." He said, brushing against her mind briefly. "Just do what I say."

***

Captain Maynard felt every nerve in his body hum. Any moment now, he'd see him. The man he'd been dreaming about for years. He'd missed his master so much; it was all he could to sleep without the dreams. His body felt too hot, too full of blood. His master should have had all of it. Now he would, and Jack couldn't wait.

Jack stepped off the transport and stopped. He was there. Tall, dark, strong... A Zeus in human form. Jack could barely restrain himself. He walked straight over to his master, who wordlessly guided him. Through doors, down transport tubes, corridor after corridor passed and, while Jack understood the need for covertness it was all he could do not to drag the vampires' head and mouth to his neck. He was desperate.

Finally they were in Brown sector, what the station's residents called Downbelow. Jack immediately began unzipping his jacket. John turned to him, smiling at his frenzied actions. Lightning quick, he reached forward and grabbed the human by the back of his neck and brought their mouths crashing together. His free hand trailed down Jack's chest to his trousers and forced their way in. Jack's legs folded and he leaned against John as the man's tongue raped his mouth and his hand grappled with Jack's arousal. He sighed as the old familiar touch wound its way into his mind.

John's lips moved from Jack's to suck on his chin, under it, to the front of his neck, to the side...

There. The sweet spot. The spot that was so tender, so sensitive, so-

John bit down. His fangs penetrated Jack's neck and Jack felt his blood spurt onto John's tongue, could feel his Master drink of him deeply, his chest heaving in appreciation as the blood was sucked fast. And his mind... his mind was everywhere. Every secret thought, every longing for John he'd felt in those sweltering days without the powerful being was ripped from his mind and John felt it all, the silly human's desperation for what could easily kill him. It was pathetic.

And, fifty feet away, Lennier of the Third Fane of Chudomo was watching as the Captain of the station fed from the neck of the other ship's Captain. He was horrified.

***

Lennier desperately held his gasps of shock and horror as the other human sighed happily as his blood was drained by the monster that held the title Starkiller among Lennier's people. The other Captain was finally released, his neck still bearing those tiny wounds. His face was slack, shining with bliss. Lennier had never seen that sort of expression before- wait. He had seen it once before.

Delenn.

She'd looked just like him in her quarters several days ago. Had Sheridan done the same to her?

Trying to ignore the soft grunts and moans of pleasure coming from the two men as Sheridan began to use the other man's body for other pleasures, Lennier left quickly and quietly. He needed to get to Delenn.

Within ten minutes he was outside her quarters, panting slightly. He'd run all the way there. He let himself in with his Key Card. He rushed in, saying, "Delenn, I need to speak to you..."

"Well, what is it?" Delenn almost snapped. She was lying on the couch, still in her night clothes. A gentle silk dressing gown hid her shoulders. Her normal nightclothes had somehow wound up ripped and she'd obtained a new item of night wear- a very slinky midnight blue silk nightdress which hung off her shoulders and clung to her curves. The first time Lennier had seen her in it he'd almost collapsed in shock and embarrassment. He'd never seen Delenn look so naked!

And he'd also never seen her look as irritated as she did right now.

"I just discovered something that... it's about Captain Sheridan..."

"What? Is he in trouble?" Instantly, Delenn sat up. Lennier wondered if there was any power in this universe that would stop her if she thought the Captain was in trouble.

"No, no I don't think so." She sat back, looking relieved. "It's just... I don't think he's a good man."

"What do you mean?" She asked, sounding tired.

"I mean just that- I don't think he's a good man. In fact I think he's very bad."

"That's ridiculous Lennier. He's a wonderful man. A wonderful man." Lennier looked at her sharply. Her face was wistful and distant- she was drifting off into a separate dream world. Lennier could see... he wasn't going to reach her. "I think I love him."

"What?!"

"I think... I am in love with him." Said Delenn serenely. "He's just so... handsome and wonderful... and smart and funny and... he's perfect, I really think he is... I love him so much..."

Lennier stared at her for a few more minutes as she mumbled to herself. She was acting like a crazy person, talking almost completely to herself. He had to do something. Sheridan clearly had her completely controlled.

***

In his own quarters, Lennier sat at the console. He quickly scrolled through the files available and found Earth's history files. They were extensive. He'd never have time to search them all; he'd have o run an automated search. It was less detailed, more chances of what he wanted slipping through the cracks but he had no choice. Time, as the Humans said, was of the essence.

Thinking carefully, wanting to make sure he found what he was looking for, he entered the search parameters with the key phrases 'drinking blood from the neck', 'control through seduction or seductive means' and 'powerful psychic manipulation'. He had no idea what Sheridan was, but he clearly wasn't human. Since Lennier hadn't heard of any alien races that fit his description there might be something in Earth's history that would have some relevance to-

"Relevant file found." Pronounced the computer.

Lennier started. He hadn't expected it to take that short a time. He quickly opened the file.

**Vampires**. Also known as _vrykolakas_ in Greece, _nosferatu_ in Romania and _upyr_ in Russia the tales of Vampires are ancient myths. In most stories they are deceased corpses that have risen from the graves and must drink the blood from the living in order to continue their non-life. In other stories vampires are demons in human form who enslave humans to their will.

There has never been conclusive evidence of someone who fit the ancient description of Vampire actually existing. There have been humans who have drunk blood and seduced people into doing things against their nature however there has never been any reason to assume that these people were anything other than disturbed humans.

The first man famous for supposedly being a vampire was Vlad III the Impaler, Prince of Wallachia, a Romanian viovode (prince). Especially known for his cruel punishments, he was also distinctive in that he would actually join in with his guards as they tortured, raped and killed hundreds of innocent people. He was well known for drinking blood and preferring to work at night, thus causing the rumours that he was a 'creature of darkness'. One of his titles, 'Son of the Dragon', a reference to his father who was a member of the order of the Dragon, was pronounced in his native language as Draculea. Over the years the pronunciation was simplified to Dracula, a common story moniker for the first Vampire.

According to the various ancient legends from various ancient cultures, a vampire's abilities, characteristics and weaknesses can be any of the following;

Needs to drink human blood,

Cannot live in sunlight/ will die if exposed to light,

Cannot consume or be near garlic,

Can change their physical appearance to that of animals, mist, other humans etc

Cannot bear the sight of/ to touch the Christian religious symbol known as the Cross,

Has some form of telepathy/mind control,

Lives forever,

Cannot be harmed except with wood,

Cannot bear children,

Feeds specifically off women/ children,

Corrupts/ steals the soul...

On and on Lennier read until his fear and terror reached levels he didn't know were possible. Stealing souls, turning into mist... Living forever. If Sheridan really was one of these things... Lennier had to do something. Delenn's life and her very _soul_ was at risk. He couldn't stand by.

He re-read a certain section of the file again;

According to the various legends of the vampire one of the few things they all seem to agree on is that, were vampires to exist, the only sure way to fully and successfully kill one would be to impale their chest directly through the heart with a sharp wooden 'stake' and then removing the vampires' head. Many stories then claim some rituals are required to prevent the person/demons' soul from re-rising in spirit form, others say to burn the body and bury the remains in unconsecrated grounds, but all agree as to the primary method of elimination.

Then that's what he'll need. A wooden 'stake', something to decapitate Sheridan, then use the station's nuclear reactor to incinerate the body. For Delenn.

***

A quick trip to the Gardens later and Lennier had it. A long piece of wood from one of the bushes. It wasn't perfect, but with any luck it would do. Now all he needed was something capable of severing a vampire's neck completely. What-

His door chime rang out. Lennier's blood ran cold. Had Sheridan known he'd seen him feeding? The file said he might have telepathic abilities- did he know already? Lennier didn't know... and he was terrified.

The door chime rang again. Then a familiar voice came out of the speaker, "Lennier? It's Garibaldi. I need to talk to you."

Lennier froze. He'd known Garibaldi far longer than he'd known Sheridan. He'd never suspected the Security Chief was anything other than Human. But then, how could Lennier be certain? If Sheridan could pass for human, and he did, then for all Lennier knew all of the staff were Vampires. How could he be sure?

Garibaldi answered the question for him. "Lennier, I know you're in there. I also know you accessed the file on Vampires and you went to the Gardens. I want to help you."

Making his mind up, Lennier opened the door. Garibaldi stood there, looking no less human than usual. "Help me with what?" Asked Lennier.

"Killing him. Sheridan. I know what he is and I think you do too." Looking into the human's eyes, Lennier decided to trust the man. It was a risk, but they'd built a motorcycle together. Lennier felt he knew the man well enough to tell when he could be trusted.

"How did you know?" He asked as he stood aside, letting the man in.

"That you accessed the files? I had them rigged- if anyone accessed them directly or used certain search phrases to find them the computer instantly alerts me. I can't bring Sheridan down myself- I need help. But I can't ask just anyone... I need to know who I can trust. And right now, for this, that's you."

"Alright. But he's your Commanding Officer..."

"Oh come on Lennier. If you're accessing the file and gathering wood you're not hesitating to do what's necessary. Neither will I." Lennier still looked wary. Garibaldi sighed. "Look. On one of my previous postings I was... attacked by several of those things. Ten other people were killed and I nearly died. Physically- Inside I'm almost sure I lost the best part of me those nights and never got it back. I would have been killed if it hadn't been for Jeff."

"Ambassador Sinclair?" Exclaimed Lennier.

"Yeah. He saved my life and killed those things. He told me never to tell anyone, that it would be safer for me if I tried to forget what I saw, but I never forgot. Jeff promised to protect me from them and now he's gone and our new CO is one of them?" Lennier guided Garibaldi to a seat next in his kitchen and prepared a drink.

"There's more. I think... I don't know but I think Sheridan may have done something to Delenn. Her behaviour has been... unusual lately and she says... she... she says that she loves him."

"Yeah, that seems like the kind of thing that things like him would do." Garibaldi suddenly hit the table in frustration and stood again, beginning to pace. "The problem is we don't know for sure what to do. We don't know what, out of the old stories, is actually real, what's exaggerated and what's completely made up.

There's only one thing we can do." Garibaldi turned to Lennier, his eyes flashing. "We have to go to Minbar and ask Jeff to help us."

***

The day after this meeting, something he knew nothing about, John Sheridan was feeding from Talia Winters. His palette had been crying out for more variety again and Delenn and Susan were beginning to become boring taste-wise. They were still fun to play with but he wanted differences in what he drank. Telepath blood was something he didn't get often.

He had invited the blond to his office to talk and, the moment he knew he wouldn't be disturbed for a while he swooped in. Winters's defences had not held up against his onslaught and in a matter of nano seconds he had her mind in the palm of his mind's hand. As he swooped in and out, he found something that didn't feel right. Investigating it closer, he almost laughed.

A submerged personality. With safety triggers and telepathic markers all over it. Really, Human telepaths were so messy sometimes.

It took John less than a heartbeat to destroy the hidden personality utterly. Wanting to be safe, he pulled at Talia's self control until her mind and body were under more control than he usually preferred.

Usually, when he took someone's mind in, like he'd done for Jack, Susan and Delenn and so many others, he afforded them their freedom. With the exception that he made them fall desperately in love with him, so they felt that they couldn't live without him. Other than that, their bodies were their own to control most of the time. But now, Talia would be unable to do anything outside of her normal daily routine, which he now knew thanks to the link, without consulting with John first and getting his approval.

She was his, and John was happy.

Until, just he was removing his mouth from her neck and licking the wound to accelerate healing, he heard a gasp. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

John's head snapped to the right. Lieutenant David Corwin stood there staring. Apparently under the impression he'd interrupted a make-out session. Until he saw the blood on Talia's neck.

The young human took one look at John's fangs and turned to run. Before he could put one foot in front of the other, John had him by the back of his neck. Slamming the slim body against the wall, John lunged and bit down on his neck.

David tried to yell as he felt the Captain's fangs slice through his flesh. He tried- but he couldn't. Something was stopping him.

_Relax_.

**Where did that voice come from?**

_Just relax_.

**Such a nice voice...**

_This doesn't hurt. In fact, it feels quite nice, doesn't it?_

**Yes. Of course, how could it be otherwise? This is the best thing that has ever happened to me.**

_You love me, don't you?_

**Yes.**

_You'd do anything for me, wouldn't you?_

**God yes!**

_Never tell anyone what you've seen here._

**Of course, Master.**

***

Garibaldi looked around the Consulate grounds with interest. He'd never been to Minbar. He'd never even heard any reliable descriptions. But somehow it seemed to fit the Minbari quite well.

Suddenly he heard rustling behind him. Jumping forward, Garibaldi whirled around, only to face Lennier as he came out of the bushes. "What were you doing? I nearly hit you! You scared the hell out of me."

"My apologies Mr Garibaldi. I was just-"

"Just, please don't do that again, OK?" Lennier nodded. "Thanks. Every time I get to thinking what happened on Mars I get jumpy... nervous. There's so much I don't know about them- I hate that. Not knowing."

Lennier nodded again, fully understanding. Then he frowned, looking around. "We should have encountered someone by now. Staff, visitors... There's no-one."

"You don't think that Sheridan could have known we were coming ahead of time? Sent someone after Jeff?" Asked Garibaldi, starting to panic.

"I do not see how." Said Lennier, also nervous. As Garibaldi had just said, they didn't know enough about vampires to know their abilities well enough. For all they knew, John Sheridan was about to greet them in the Consulate.

Fearing for the life of his friend, Garibaldi began to run. Fearing for the life of his travelling companion and new ally, Lennier ran after him.

They ran through the door, through the entry hall, through the aide office. All of them were deserted. Now panicking, they both ran into the main office at full sprint.

"JEFF! Are you O-" Garibaldi stopped short. They had entered just in time to see a large formless mass shrink and twist... into the form of Jeffrey Sinclair.

Staring at him for a split second, both Lennier and Garibaldi reacted as best they could. Lennier turned to run. Garibaldi collapsed against the wall.

Sinclair's hand slammed on a button on his desk and the door slammed shut. A clicking sound testified to the door being locked. Lennier whirled, pulling the wooden stake he'd taken from the bush on the station from under his tunic. "Vampire," he spat.

"Not exactly." Said Sinclair, sounding for all the world as if he were amused. "And I doubt that little twig of yours would do any damage to one anyway."

Lennier rushed forward with it anyway. Garibaldi, meanwhile, was crumpled on the floor, staring at his old friend and former savoir in horror and denial. "No." He muttered. "No it's not true, you're not one of them, you're one of the good guys, you told me..."

Just as Lennier reached Sinclair with the stake, the Ambassador grabbed the Minbari by the front of his robes. He dragged the man over his shoulders with next to no effort and slammed him into the wall. Lennier collapsed, gasping for breath. He felt his mind begin to lose its grip on consciousness and, just before his body gave in, he managed to ask, "What... are... you...?"

Sinclair smiled humourlessly. "I'm not human. And not a vampire. You don't know what I am."

That was the last Lennier knew.

Garibaldi stayed in his corner, still staring. This couldn't be. Jeff wasn't a bad guy, Jeff was a good guy, he fought things like this, he wasn't one of them...

Jeff grabbed the Minbari would-be vampire hunter by his ankles and dragged him into the closet in the corner. Depositing the pale bonehead in there, he walked over to Garibaldi. The human was just sitting there, staring straight ahead. He'd obviously decided that as long as he didn't acknowledge what was happening, it wasn't therefore happening. A tactic he knew humans used a lot.

Feeling guilty, Jeff bent down and took Michael into his arms. The man's weight was nothing to Jeff's muscles, and it was easy to carry him into the closet. Gently placing him on the floor, next to the prone Minbari, Jeff returned to his desk. Picking up the lighting device he carried it to the closet. He knew, in this condition, Garibaldi couldn't be left in the dark. It would destroy him.

He gently placed the lamp on the floor and set it on. Gentle illumination flooded the small room and Garibaldi shivered.

"Jeff...?" He whimpered. Feeling even guiltier, Jeff shut the door. He couldn't risk saying anything more than he already had done.

He locked the closet door and walked to the console. Tapping a few keys, he got the communication device for one William Cole up and running. After only a moment, the call was answered.

"Hello?"

"Will? It's Jeff. I know you're the only vampire on Minbar at the moment and... I need your help."

***

Lennier woke up in a heartbeat. In his sleep he'd dreamed of dark and blood and evil beings and he'd woken up to a world of the same. Well, this room was clean and lit and only had Lennier and Garibaldi in it, but the world seemed filthier somehow, as if suddenly knowing that these things were here, though they'd been in this galaxy all along, made reality seem darker in some non-tangible way.

He looked around himself. He was lying on his side in a closet, his hands and feet unbound. He wasn't gagged or blindfolded, there was no restraint at all. Very slack.

He raised his legs and kicked the door hard. It didn't budge, and a spasm of pain shot up his legs. The door was locked very securely. He'd have to find another way.

He looked at Garibaldi. The human appeared to be, as the humans said, 'losing it'. He was curled up in a ball with his back to the wall, rocking slightly and muttering the words 'it's not true' over and over again. Lennier tried to rouse him with a few loud whispers and shaking his shoulders slightly, but the other man didn't answer. Worrying now for his friends' sanity as well as both their lives, he reached into his left boot. He found the severed wooden shaft from a flarorn tree he'd picked up in the bushes outside. It was sturdy and sharp- a far better weapon than the stick he'd had before.

He moved his hand over the door until he found the edges, set thinly in the metal. He manoeuvred the Wood into position and began to press down. The door opened.

Realising that it hadn't been his effort that opened the door, Lennier looked up- right into the eyes of a dark haired human who looked way too confident for someone who just found two prisoners.

Suddenly Garibaldi started screaming. Lennier's head whipped around. The Humans' face was contorted; his eyes were wide and staring and fixated on the dark haired man's face. Basic recognition ran rampant and Lennier realised- this must be the same kind of thing that attacked Garibaldi on Mars and is currently commanding the Station.

Lennier leapt for the creature who, it appeared, was not anticipating it. His weapon found purchase, but only in the creatures' shoulder. It yelled and pushed him hard, causing Lennier's back to hit the wall at great speeds. Sinclair rushed forward, seemingly from nowhere, and grabbed Lennier in a bear hug. He pinned the Minbari's arms to the side and immobilized him as the Vampire pulled the wood out of his shoulder, swearing.

"Will? You OK?!" Shouted Sinclair over the anguished yells of Garibaldi and the gasps and heaves from Lennier as he attempted to shift the unmoving arms from his torso.

"Yeah... He missed my heart... but now I really need to feed." He said, walking forward again, his eyes glowing red.

Lennier yelled again and tried to kick his legs out but the vampire was too fast for him, now that he had been expecting an attack. He stood between Lennier legs as he grabbed the Minbari's chin. Lennier tried to put his head down to cover his neck but the vampire's hands were immovable. The vampire leaned closer and closer...

His mouth touched Lennier's neck...

His tongue lapped at Lennier's throat, investigating the pulsing, heaving flesh...

His fangs descended. Lennier threw his head back and screamed. The fangs were slicing through his flesh; he could feel them as they tore his neck open, his artery spurting blood into a warm, greedy mouth...

William Cole drank deep. Minbari blood was better than Lochley had told, it was an elixir, it was strong and healthy, Will could get used to this...

Lennier's movements began to slow as the vampire wormed his way into Lennier's mind. Garibaldi could only sit there, his screams somewhere in his chest, as he watched Lennier's legs still and hang. His head lolled to the side and his shoulders sagged. In his mind, he was back on Mars, on that bed, unable to move a muscle as the vampires came in and fed off him regularly. His blood poured out of his neck as his mind was torn open and now it was going to happen again and it was Jeff his rescuer his hero who was going to hold him down as this evil creature bit him and killed him...

The vampire stood away from Lennier. "It is done. He won't remember anything that links back to the vampire. Or you. We're safe."

"Great." Said Sinclair as he lifted Lennier clear off the floor and lay him down on his desk. The wound had already stopped bleeding. Sinclair turned to look at Garibaldi.

Walking over to him, Sinclair said, "I know you don't understand Michael. You can't. Millions of lives depend on it. The secret must be kept. The law says you must die for knowing what you know... But you are my friend. I care about you. This is the only way to keep you safe. I'm sorry."

He bent down and took a gentle hold of Garibaldi's arms, pulling the sagging man to his feet. He gently leaned his body against his own and held Garibaldi in a tight hug, keeping him on his feet and restrained. Garibaldi's eyes had gone wide and glassy, his chest was heaving and Sinclair could feel his pulse against his arm going wild. He was panicking.

"It's alright, Michael, it's OK..." Crooned Sinclair in his friends' ear as Cole drew closer.

"No, no, no, no, please, don't, no..." Rambled Garibaldi, his body convulsing in fear. Cole pitied him- something he didn't usually do for food.

"It's alright. I'll make it not hurt. I can do that very well. It won't hurt, and then you'll be alright. I promise." Then he leaned forward.

Garibaldi felt the creatures' breath on his throat and let out a strangled yelp of fear. Then the sharp pain came and Garibaldi yelled loudly. His legs drew up in terror; all he wanted to do was crawl away and hide, curl up in a ball and forget the rest of the world was there-

_It's alright._

**No it's not.**

_Yes it is. You feel fine._

**I-**

_No pain. No fear. Nothing bad. You feel very good._

**I... Don't...**

_Everything is going to be completely fine. All you have to do is trust me._

**You're evil...**

_What is evil? I'm doing only what I need to in order to survive. Human's rear and cage animals they feed on. They keep them in captivity for the sole purposes of slaughtering them for food. We don't do that. We only take what we need._

**Mars...**

_The vampires on Mars were outlaws. They broke the rules by taking you and the others. Very few vampires ever disobey the Law. The Law is everything to us. Because the Law was set down by the first Blood. We do not harm your kind in the way you think we do. We try to avoid anything that would get attention. That's one of the reasons I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not going to do anything bad to you, I promise. Jeff wouldn't allow me even if I wanted to. He cares about you a great deal. Can't you see? He's crying._

Garibaldi looked out of the corner of his eye. Distantly, like through a tunnel, he could see Jeffrey Sinclair. His forehead was pressed against Garibaldi's, his eyes were shut tight... And tears were leaking out of them.

_He cares about you so much that he's going to all of this trouble to save your life... And it still hurts him to have to do this. That's how much he cares._

Garibaldi felt his body beginning to relax. His eyes slid shut and his mind slowed.

_When you wake up you will know nothing of us. It will be alright. You will be fine._

And Garibaldi knew no more.

***

Garibaldi stared at his controls. Where was he? A shuttle? How did he get here? Strangely though, he didn't care. Nothing was wrong.

Lennier looked to his right. Mister Garibaldi was sitting next to him, staring straight ahead, his body relaxed. He looked the picture of ease. How did they get here? The last thing Lennier remembered was... was...

Had it been the Council meeting? No, he remembered running... running... from Brown Sector...

Why had he been running? Was he being chased, did he have important information, what was wrong-

Nothing was wrong.

Suddenly the shuttle jerked. Garibaldi looked down. His controls said he'd just finished docking the shuttle with Babylon 5- Had they left the station? Why? It didn't matter. Nothing was wrong.

Lennier's legs stood up and moved him to the hatch. His legs did, not him. He had no control. Strangely, that didn't worry him. Nothing was wrong.

The next second, it seemed, they were standing in the Docking Bay. Standing completely still. Waiting. For what? It didn't matter. Nothing was wrong.

Then they saw Captain John Sheridan and Sergeant Zack Allan. The two of them seemed to have been waiting for them. The Captain stepped forward.

"Hello you two. You gave us quite a turnaround. We were very worried about you." He strode forward until he was staring Garibaldi right in the face, their bodies almost touching. "I told him you'd need a shorter leash. I told him to let me catch your mind, but he refused. He cares too much. I suppose the strategic thing to do would be to catch it now, enslave your will to mine... But I won't. I swore to Sinclair that I wouldn't unless ordered otherwise by the First Blood, and they've said to respect Sinclair's decision in this matter. So, after this, your free will really is free. Not safe. But I suppose I'll have to put up with this. Oh well." Then he turned to Lennier. "You, I think I know why you did this. Delenn, right? She's mine. Forever. I'm not letting her go. If I wind up having to kill you to keep her then I will. Happily. Just don't force my hand."

Then he stood back.

"Well, what do you think?" Garibaldi and Lennier jerked a little, feeling like they'd just woken up from a deep sleep. What were they doing in the Docking Bay? "Well?" Said Sheridan, and they both looked at him. Instantly they knew something was wrong, something was bad about him, but they couldn't figure out what it was. "Don't you remember? You decided to get to know each other better so you spent some time together. You just finished going over Minbari and Human shuttle differences. You had fun, didn't you?"

Seemingly of their own accord, Lennier and Garibaldi's mouths said, "Yes." Simultaneously.

"Tell you what? I'll walk you to your quarters. Zack, take care of those things I asked you to do, OK?"

Zack nodded and watched as Sheridan led the confused pair away. Then he went into the shuttle and erased the flight logs.

***

Delenn screamed again, as loud as she could. Considering she'd been gasping and moaning for hours, it wasn't very loud. Her body went limp against John's as he plunged into her again and again. Realising that she was on the verge of passing out, he paused and moved off her, letting her breathe for a moment.

Suddenly, astonishingly, she spoke. "What... Are... You...?" John stared at her. She was supposed to love him so much she wouldn't care about such things. He was supposed to be her everything. "What... Are... You...?"

John thought for a moment. "I'm your soulmate." He said finally.

She nodded and moulded the contours of her body to his, sighing. John thought for a moment, then entered her mind. He couldn't risk another slip like that again. He'd have to make sure it didn't happen again.

***

She grabbed another bottle. He wasn't here, there was too much heat and she needed something...

She swigged the vitriolic contents of the bottle repeatedly. Almost there... Just another few swallows...

Upyr.

She lay her head down. Her thoughts, as ever, were fixated on John. Her Master. Her everything.

Upyr.

What? What was upyr?

John.

Her Master. She loved him, he was ultimate.

Evil.

No.

Upyr. Demons. Soul corruptors. Her Grandmother's stories.

John was everything good and pure. She loved him.

Upyr are evil.

So?

John was upyr.

So?

John is ev-

NONONONONONONONONONONO!

Tears raced down Susan Ivanova's face as she collapsed against the bed. She loved John. He wasn't evil. He couldn't be. She loved him.

She passed out, the vodka bottle smashing on the floor.

She loved...

***

In his dreams that night, David Corwin dreamed of fangs, sharp, lethal, erotic somehow, piercing flesh and blood flowing as he looked into deep blue eyes like midnight with red shoot through, his Captain and Master holding him in his arms, biting him and penetrating him, being in him and Corwin thrashed in his bed as he swore to always serve his Master, no matter what...

***

Sinclair tossed again, growling at the Minbari bed that was still at a cocky angle. He could probably rig it to a horizontal angle but with his fur pelt in his natural form he could sleep on the floor. It wasn't the position that kept him awake. It was the memory of the feel of Michael in his arms trembling as his worst nightmare fed on him. It had been the only way to save both his own world and Michael's life. Didn't make him feel better about it.

***

The Warrior put up a good fight but Will was far too fast for him. He sped around the extended pike and grabbed a handful of the robes and pulled the stocky form to his open mouth. As the scarlet elixir spurted into his mouth Will briefly thought of his brother Marcus, wishing he could know this pleasure.

And Alyt Neroon of the Star Riders Clan went lax in the Vampires' grip, his mind melting. He had found his new Master.

***

Lennier of the Third Fane of Chudomo tossed on his bed again, almost falling out. He saw Delenn standing before him. She was naked, her skin gleaming. And drenched in blood. There was a deep hole- no, two holes in her neck, gushing blood.

She walked towards him, blood dripping from her nipples. "Lennier." She said, except it sounded more like a hiss. "Lennier. Come to me. Help me. Save me from him. Join us. Be with us. Kill him. Serve him."

She reached out for him- arms turning to bones. Her flesh was liquefying and turning to blood, splashing onto the floor. Behind her was a dark figure, stalking towards her. He tried to call out, to run to her, but he couldn't move his mouth. Something was around his torso, holding him in place. Arms. From behind him he heard, "This is the only way." The voice was familiar.

Then the dark figure reached Delenn. She began to cry tears of blood. The figures' arms went around her shoulders. Restraining her. Embracing her. Its head went to her neck... and it drank her blood.

A rush of familiarity ran through Lennier, as if he knew what was going on. But he didn't. He was sure.

Then the figure pulled Delenn into the shadows. Hearing hysterical sobbing, Lennier looked down. Lying at his feet, looking completely defeated, was Garibaldi. Tears raced down his face as he continued to sob desperately. Lennier looked up at Delenn and her dark captor as the sounds became more sexual, the sound of flesh rubbing against flesh, tongue lapping at wet skin. The shapes were undulating in the dark. Delenn's voice came to him- sobbing. Or perhaps laughing? What was going on?

Then her captor looked up and Lennier looked into eyes the colour of a bloody blue sky. Familiar eyes. He knew him...

Cap...

Joh...

Sher...

Who...

***

He was frozen in terror. His blood was all over his neck. How he was still alive after losing that much he didn't know. All he did know was that those things were going to come back soon. He'd heard his last cellmate stop breathing an hour ago. They'd bring that... that thing back to rip the body open. And then they'd all feed on him. All together. He'd never survive. He hoped, anyway.

Suddenly Garibaldi shot up in bed, his body dripping sweat. It had been so real. His chest heaving madly in fear, his pulse racing... Just a dream.

It had to be dream.

It couldn't be real.

It just couldn't. It was impossible.

Impossible...


	3. Chapter 3

Characters: Zack, Sheridan, Delenn, Susan, Talia, Corwin, Garibaldi, Lennier, Franklin, Rathenn, Sinclair, William, Neroon.

Rating: M.

Disclaimer: I don't own it. I don't get money from it. Sue me and I'll laugh. And hide.

Warnings: AU. Vampirism, lycanthropy, violence, insanity, sex, SLASH and FEMSLASH, rape (fairly graphic, seriously don't read if you're sensitive to that sort of stuff), death, dismemberment.

Spoilers: None.

Summary: A group of rogue vampires arrive on the station with three rogue werewolves and set up a feeding nest while Garibaldi has a flashback that leads to disastrous consequences.

Author's Note: MY APOLOGIES!!! My muse has been MIA, I'd sit at my computer for hours waiting for inspiration of how to phrase the next sentence to come but it DIDN'T! Very distressing.

I'm GOING to finish ALL of my stories I SWEAR! Unless I die first. I'll try not to ;) By all means, throw loads of reviews at me saying how much you love me and want to see more of my typed smuttiness. If you wanna tell me I suck then please phrase it nicely. To each his/her own opinion.

***

Zack Allan took another identicard and scanned it through his reader. He sighed, bored out of his mind. He wanted to be out, running, hunting... No, focus on the job. On the job, on the job, on the-

What?

He raised his head and looked around, sniffing heavily and listening carefully. He knew that feeling. He knew...

Two werewolves stood in the customs line. They were wearing clean clothes- a break from tradition with werewolves- and were relatively clean and tidy too. But there was no mistaking them for what they were. And why they were here. Every angle of their bodies announced it to the world.

They were here for a hunt.

"Hey Zack?" Asked his partner. "Do you know them?"

"Huh?" Zack looked at his partner. "Whaddya mean? Who?"

"Those two guys there. been staring at them for about two minutes. You know 'em?"

Zack looked back and watched as they went through the customs gate. "No." He said. "I've never seen them before."

"Uh huh." Said the guard, looking unconvinced. "Listen, we just got off duty, I was wondering if you wanted to grab a drink with us guys, you never..."

Zack turned around and ran off, ignoring his partner. The other security officer huffed and walked in the other direction. He neither saw nor would have cared about the other three men who came in the customs gate and met up with the first two, looking around at everyone with hungry looks on their faces.

***

Zack tapped the call button on Captain Sheridan's door. He needed to know, Zack had to tell him.

The door swung open and Zack entered, going straight towards the bedroom. Where he saw Captain Sheridan, Commander Ivanova, Lieutenant Corwin, Ambassador Delenn and Miss Winters all in bed together.

"Captain." He said. "I need to tell you something."

"So tell." Murmured the Vampire, his face buried in Delenn's chest. Corwin was glued to his Master's back, kissing and stroking the ivory skin worshipfully. Ivanova and Talia were lying next to the Captain, penetrating each other slowly, sighing. Delenn's hands were gripped around Sheridan's head as she whimpered into the air, her head thrown back.

"Two werewolves just came in through Customs."

Sheridan raised his head from Delenn's skin. "I wasn't informed of anyone coming." He said, frowning as Delenn began kissing the side of his face.

"There wasn't anything in the notice, I checked last night. These guys are here under silence. They're here for a hunt."

Sheridan looked at him. Zack could see the wheels turning in his brain. He was thinking hard.

"Send a message to the Council. Request confirmation that they're here illegally. Then we'll take it from there." Zack nodded and left.

John sighed happily as Susan and Talia moved to his side and began to caress his arms and shoulders, murmuring pleasingly. He sighed again, this time frustrated. He didn't want to interrupt this, but he had to warn them. "Listen my pets. There may be some bad people on this station. I'll need you all to stay here, in my quarters. You cannot leave. Not until I say so. Alright?" They all mumbled affirmatives as they continued their ministrations and he happily delved back into their bodies and their minds.

***

"Hey Chief. How you doing?" Asked Zack as he barrelled into the Security Hub that morning. The Council had got back to him last night- they hadn't approved anyone going off world for weeks. They had illegal hunters on the station. The Council was preparing a team, but there would still be blood. Zack had to find a way to minimize the exposure risk.

"I'm fine Zack. Listen, Ivanova and Corwin have both sent in messages that they're dealing with some kind of personal problems in the quarters for the next several days. It's weird, but the Captain's agreed. Ambassador Delenn and Talia Winters have both dropped off the radar too."

"Mmm. Must be some kind of personal-problem virus going around."

"Huh. Must be." Zack looked at his human boss again, his eyes narrowing.

"Are you sure you're OK Chief?"

Garibaldi sighed. "Ah, I've been having these problems sleeping. These really weird dreams..."

Zack's breath froze in his chest. "Dreams?" He asked, struggling to keep his voice calm and level.

"Yeah. Really weird ones, freaky. Loads of blood and snarling things, pitch black darkness and the smell of death..." Garibaldi's eyes were distant, focusing on his nightmares. He didn't see the look of shock crossing Zack's face. "It feels like they're memories. Flashbacks to a part of my past but I know I've never been in any kind of situation like... whatever it is I keep thinking of."

Zack sucked in a breath. "Maybe it's all those crappy TV shows you watch. Putting bad ideas into your head."

"No, I don't think so." Murmured Garibaldi, his voice even more distant. "And what's weirder is that, somehow, I feel sure that Captain Sheridan is involved. I'm going to keep an eye on him."

"Well, either way, I need your help with the armoury cataloguing. Come on."

The two men walked into the isolated armoury. Garibaldi walked over to the rack holding PPG rifles... and Zack shut the door with a loud click.

Garibaldi looked around. "What're you doing?"

Zack walked towards him, letting his nature begin to show. "I'm sorry Chief. But this has to happen."

"Huh?" Garibaldi started walked to the left, away from his advancing second. "What do you mean?"

"You're starting to remember. You can't remember. I can't let you live if you remember."

"WHAT? Zack, are you out of your mind?!" Then Zack lunged.

The two men fell back into a wall, Zack's fists bunched in Garibaldi's tunic. He raised the human's body and smashed it against the wall. He was rewarded with the sound of air rushing out of his victim's lungs. He moved his hands to Garibaldi's neck and started squeezing. As Garibaldi struggled to draw breath into his empty lungs, Zack looked into his eyes.

"I'm sorry Chief. I really liked you as a friend. You could have been great. But no human can know and live unless they're enslaved and you don't have the right personality for that. You have to die."

Garibaldi continued to struggle for a few seconds- then his arms fell to his sides. His legs hung and he looked into Zack's eyes with rapidly darkening eyes. Then the flash of pain hit. Zack staggered back and looked down with surprise. One of the PPG rifles was in Garibaldi's hands and the nozzle had been pointed at Zack's stomach. He was lucky he hadn't been blown in half. No, not lucky. Garibaldi had deliberately turned the settings down. The human collapsed against the wall, coughing and spluttering. Zack strode towards him, growling. The man had to die.

Garibaldi looked up at him as he approached and rasped "What are you?"

In response, Zack growled fully, pulling his lips back to reveal his ripping sharp back teeth. His iris retracted, showing the amber centre-pupil, and his ears twitched and revolved, taking in every sound in full detail. He reached out for his friend and said "I'm something that you never believed in. Something you can't believe in. Something that has to kill you now." He lunged again.

Garibaldi tried to shoot him but missed and the two of them were thrown against the wall again. This time, Zack's teeth found purchase in Garibaldi's left shoulder and upper arm and he began ripping and tearing chunks of flesh out. Garibaldi screamed and Zack's fingers dug so deeply into into his left elbow and right wrist that bones cracked. Blood spurted down his front and he began to struggle again. Zack shook him several times, violently slamming him against the wall. Garibaldi's voice ran out and he looked around wildly even as his body was leeched of strength. Then he remembered he still held the gun in his numb left hand.

He raised it and pushed it against his would-be killer's shoulder and fired again. The shot went straight through Zack's shoulder and out the other side. The snarling being threw his head back and howled in pain. Garibaldi managed barely to push him away and staggered to the door. At the last he looked back and saw Zack clutching his shoulder. The man's hair was soaked in blood and his left arm hang uselessly. His face was contorted as he continued to growl and his eyes were flashing amber as Garibaldi ran.

***

Lennier turned another corner, frowning. He'd been sure that the exit was this way! Brown Sector was impossible to navigate. He turned around and retraced his steps, thinking. He'd come in that way but maybe he'd missed a turning somewhere...

Then he navigated another corner and almost walked right into a human man, tall, dark and heavily muscled. Dark blonde shoulder length hair was mussed, like he'd been running hard, and a strange, earthy smell was coming from him. Lennier took an automatic step backwards to avoid a full collision and said, "My apologies..." Then he looked at the Human.

Dark irises with an amber flash in the centre of the pupils. Heavy brows, thick jaw, dirty teeth protruding... Something was wrong with this human.

Then the man lunged forward and grabbed Lennier. He yelled in outrage which turned to a strangled gasp of fear as the man picked him up and crushed the Minbari's body to his torso. The air was ripped from his lungs and his pelvis creaked as the man's' arms tightened impossibly. His eyesight began to go gray as the man began to walk, still carrying Lennier. He tried to push his captor away but he could barely twitch his fingers.

Finally, they came to a halt in a dark room, typical of Downbelow. The man dropped his victim, who lay on the floor, gasping desperately. As soon as he could, he raised his eyes and looked around. What he saw sickened him.

There were 7 other Minbari lying in the room, 4 females and 3 males. All of them were lying face up on the floor, hands tied behind their backs. All of them had blood on their throats, though they seemed to be breathing. They also shared the same distant, dreamy expression on their faces.

Suddenly, hands grabbed Lennier and pulled him to his feet. His arms were pulled back in rough, vice-like grips and ropes bit deeply into his wrists. Harsh breathing blew against his ear as his captor said, "Behave yourself or we'll kill you and ever other Minbari here and it will be all your fault."

Lennier went lax as the men dragged him over to a spot furthest from the door and left him there. He looked at his fellow Minbari but there was no sign of recognition or acknowledgement.

***

Garibaldi banged on Ivanova's door, gasping for breath. His left shoulder and arm still throbbed from where they were now missing chunks of flesh and his right hand twitched uselessly. His left arm had gone numb ages ago and he now held it to his body, his elbow beyond use. His head was still reeling from being thrown against the wall repeatedly and he needed help before Zack tracked him down.

He banged on the door again until his arm loudly protested, then he sank against the opposite wall. He gasped for a few minutes as he thought, then he decided to risk using his link. He had nothing else to lose.

"Garibaldi to Ivanova."

"Ivanova here. What is it Michael? I'm off duty today."

"Susan, I need your help. Badly. Can you meet me at your quarters?"

There was a pause, during which Michael's heartbeats echoed through his head.

"No," She answered finally. "You can come here."

"OK. Where's here?"

"Captain Sheridan's quarters."

His heartbeats stopped for a second as his breath froze. "Captain Sheridan?"

"Yes."

Garibaldi hesitated for a moment. But he needed help and Susan was the only one he could trust who was on station. "Alright. I'm coming."

He toggled off and made for the Captain's quarters. Five minutes later he arrived, panting and getting dizzy. He was losing too much blood. He reached out and rang the door chime.

"Come in." Came Susan's voice.

Garibaldi entered. "Susan, you won't believe-" Then he stopped.

Susan was sitting on the couch wearing a very teasing negligee, and, even weirder, was actually sitting on Lieutenant Corwin's lap. The lieutenant didn't look at all awkward at being seen in this position and, in fact, didn't even take his hands off her waist. On the chair sat Talia Winters, sitting strangely still and looking almost completely blank. And standing at the bedroom door, her hair messed up in a very suggestive way, was Ambassador Delenn, wearing a nightdress that put Susan's bit of fabric to shame in the sexuality department.

"Michael, what happened to your arm?" Asked Susan. Delenn ran forward and took a hold of him, guiding him to the bedroom. The others followed as she pushed him to sit on the bed and began to examine his wounds.

"Forget it, it's not important." Said Michael, still trying to think straight. "Something just happened-" He told them about Zack and his dreams and his gut feeling about Sheridan as Delenn and Susan treated his arm, wrist and elbow.

"So you expect us to believe that Zack is some kind of cannibal and the Captain is in cahoots with him. Come on Garibaldi. That's ridiculous." Said Corwin as he handed Delenn a medical bandage pad.

"Yeah Michael, I gotta tell you, there is nothing wrong with the Captain. He's a great man."

"Susan, you don't understand," began Michael, but he stopped as he heard Talia's voice from the other room.

"C+C, I need to speak to Captain Sheridan please."

"WAIT!!" He stood up to stop her but was pulled down by Delenn who grabbed his arm hard. Corwin grabbed his other arm and they held him in place.

"We will not allow you to harm our Master. You cannot harm our Master. We will not let you harm our Master." They murmured, trying to hold him still. He struggled, managing to push Corwin away- only to feel Delenn's hands slap the side of his face. The force of it was enough to knock him off the bed. As he landed on the floor, Corwin's fist smashed into his stomach and he choked, groaning. Delenn's hands grabbed his collar and pulled him up, her slaps raining down on him. Corwin's fists showered against his shoulder and Susan's voice echoed in his ears.

"OUR MASTER IS NOT EVIL. OUR MASTER IS SUPERIOR. YOU ARE INFERIOR. YOU WILL NEVER THREATEN HIM AGAIN."

He threw his arms up in defence and accidently hit Delenn in the face. She staggered back out of surprise and Corwin turned to her. In the brief second of peace, Michael shot up and headed for the door. He felt Susan grab his arm but, ignoring the scream of pain from his arm and his throat, he pulled himself out of her grip and kept running.

Susan turned just in time to see Delenn pulling on her dress and shoes, Corwin helping her. "Master told us to stay here." Said Susan.

"We cannot allow him to leave and tell others. He must die, now." Said Delenn harshly as she and Corwin left to go after Garibaldi.

***

Lennier watched as the new arrivals looked at the Minbari. Five tall, dark humans. They moved with a grace and deftness that hinted at both strength and skill. They had walked among the Minbari captives and bent over them, touching their necks and wrists, making comments to each other that Lennier didn't understand.

"This one has rich blood-"

"This one will be hard to control-"

"This one is mine-"

Suddenly one of the humans was standing over him, looking down with an almost hungry expression. He bent down to his knees and reached out a hand, touching the side of Lennier's face. He pulled his cheek away- only to have his jaw grabbed in an impossible grip. Then the man lunged forward and bit the side of his neck.

His body screamed in pain as his mind was gouged open, memories and feelings being pulled out of him. The- thing- it wasn't human. Lennier didn't know what it was but it wasn't-

_Hello. What have we here? _The voice sounded in his head like a scream and he tried to block it out. The voice laughed. _No, you can't stop me from taking what I want. You're nothing but food._

**Leave... me...**

_No. Not gonna happen. But hey, it's not like you haven't been here before. Don't you remember?_

**Wha-**

_You were bitten once before. Do you remember now?_

A memory, shiny and clear, played out before his eyes. And he remembered.

**NOO!**

_Yes. And now you're mine. And you will bring other Minbari to us to be fed on._

**NO!**

_Yes._

**NO!**

_Yes._

**NO-**

_YOU WILL!!!_

Pain, harsher than anything he'd ever felt before, shot through his body and he felt his will collapse.

**Yes Master.**

_That's better._

***

Garibaldi staggered into MedBay, his head still reeling from the hits he'd suffered. Stephen was his last hope. "Stephen!" He called out.

"Michael?" Stephen stepped out of his office and took one look at the wounded Security Chief. He ran over and guided Michael to the nearest Med Bed. "What happened?"

"I was attacked by Zack, Delenn and Corwin!" Snapped Garibaldi. He explained what had happened as Stephen pulled the bandage squares off his wounds and checked them.

When Garibaldi finished his revision, Stephen said, "alright. I'll deal with it, somehow. But you need help first." Michael nodded- and then collapsed. Stephen had injected him with something.

"Hmm!?" Mumbled Garibaldi, trying to ask what had happened. But he couldn't move anything.

"For the record, I am sorry Michael. But you did kinda bring this on yourself. Don't worry- it's a muscle relaxant with numbing properties. You won't feel a thing."

Garibaldi could do nothing as the Doctor went to the door and opened it- to reveal Captain Sheridan. The dark human nodded to Stephen and said "thank you. Doctor Hobbs was looking for you- something about a medical emergency in MedBay 2."

Stephen nodded. "I'll let you get on here. Just no traces, OK?"

"Sure thing Stephen." The dark skinned doctor left and Sheridan walked over to the bed.

Putting his arms either side of Garibaldi's body, he leaned close. Whispering intimately, he said, "You actions today forced our Council to agree with me over the requests of your little friend. You have to die. It's your own fault- you can't blame me for it. Residual memory is a bitch. Don't worry though- it won't hurt." He leant closer and began to fiddle with Garibaldi's collar.

Suddenly, the Security Chief remembered his dreams, dreams of being bitten on the neck, of being helpless. This felt uncomfortably familiar. "I'd better hurry it up. The drugs will wear off soon." Then the Captain leant down and put his mouth to Garibaldi's throat.

His lips pressed against the artery pulsing the side of the skin. The lips parted slightly and a tongue pressed down on the thickest area of the blood vessel. The mouth was pressed closer and Garibaldi could feel it as two long, sharp teeth were extended, over an inch long each. And he felt it as the fangs pierced his neck.

His world descended into a red echo of pain he knew he should have felt and black numbness. He felt another presence in his mind and somehow knew it was Sheridan's mind, rooting around. He tried to scream but he couldn't even twitch his lips. He felt Sheridan gulp his blood, once, twice, three times...

Then Sheridan pulled back, yelping. He put his hands either side of his head and called out, "Delenn!" He slide off the bed and staggered to the door. Then he ran.

Garibaldi was left alone on the bed. He tried to move his fingers, his toes but they wouldn't move. For several minutes. Then whatever Stephen had given him wore off and he was able to weakly move. He rolled off the bed and crawled to the door. Strength slowly returned and he ran.

***

Lennier kept walking, not sure why. His head felt as if he'd hit it on something but he couldn't remember... He blinked and looked around. Why was he in Downbelow? Then last thing he remembered was being on Minbar-

VAMPIRES!!!

Suddenly there was a sharp pain behind Lennier eyes and he shut them, groaning. As he opened them, his mind went blissfully blank. He continued to walk, thinking of nothing... Until he walked into an Earth Force Lieutenant's uniform.

"Whoa! Lennier?"

The slight Minbari looked up, needing a surprising amount of energy and concentration for it, and looked into the eyes of a vaguely familiar human male. Behind him, looking both curious and annoyed, was Delenn. Looking between the two of them, Lennier wondered why they were here. And for that matter, why was he here?

Oh yes. His masters wanted Minbari. Delenn was Minbari. He could give them Delenn.

Something in him screamed like a tortured man at that thought, but whatever it was wasn't in control, so Lennier said "Delenn. Lieutenant."

"Lennier, have you seen Mister Garibaldi?" Said Delenn in a rushed voice.

"Yes, I just saw him pass this way. I could show you where he is if you'd like."

"Yes please." They both said in a nearly-garbled union.

"This way." Lennier said. As he guided them to his Master's lair.

***

Garibaldi hit another wall, his blood smearing on it as he leaned closer to read the sign. He had to get off the station, everyone was in league with the things or was them and he didn't know what they were but they were really bad and if he didn't get away from them he was going to be very badly hurt or killed or something and he had to go but he couldn't go through customs he couldn't be seen howwashegoingtogetsafewithoutbeingseen.........

The sign came into better focus and Garibaldi could make out the words...

Cob...

Ra...

Bay...

***

Sheridan followed the scent trail and his mental echo until he found them. Delenn and Corwin. Two of his four person world. Being used as food and fun by five rogues- three vampires and two werewolves.

He could barely contain his hiss of rage at the sight of Delenn, barely conscious and sprawled on the lap of a werewolf who was lecherously running his filthy claws all over her bared body and violating her anally as a vampire licked her opening, his fangs leaving deep punctured on her thighs. Her breasts bruised under the werewolf claws and her head lolled back, her eyes rolling under the telepathic onslaught from the vamp in between her legs. Corwin was spread on the floor, his legs pushed wider than they could safely go, his hips jutting out where the werewolf pounding into him had broken his pelvis to give him the room he wanted. One of the other vampires had his member shoved into Corwin's mouth as the barely conscious man screamed with each thrust and the vamp buried his fangs into Corwin's side, the humans' face crushed into the groin of his oral attacker as he struggled to draw breath. The third vampire was in the corner of the room with three Minbari, two seamstresses and Lennier. He was moving from neck to neck, gorging himself as he roughly penetrated each of them with his fingers, laughing as their tears stained their cheeks.

The repressed hisses grew harder and harder to contain as he watched the atrocities and strategized his attacks. He had just got his plan in order when the sound of Delenn screech echoed through the room as the vampire violating her forced his face against her abused entry, forcing his tongue and part of his jaw into her body with a ripping sound.

The roar came out so loud it rang even in John's ears as he leapt forward and grabbed the offending rapist and thrust his fingers into the squirming man's neck, grabbing his spinal cord through the front and pulling it out. The light sounds of a pair of lungs slowly filling up with blood filled the completely silent room as the vamp fell to the floor, twitching. Then the werewolf holding on to Delenn threw her against the wall and leapt for John.

The fight was bloody and clawed but ended with all five rogues on the floor, in pieces. John ran to Delenn, shivering and whimpering. With one touch of John's hands, she quietened and settled, murmuring "love you..." Sighing as he evaluated her condition, he ran over to Corwin. Working too quickly for his poor boy toy to be aware of it, he reset the man's hips and pulled his jaw back into place. The dark chocolate eyes creaked open and leaked tears at the sight of his Master.

"It'll be alright David. I'll make all the pain go away. Go to sleep now: when you wake up you will be alright." The slight man murmured and nodded, his eyes sliding shut.

A choked laugh made John look around. It wasn't the Minbari entrées- they were still looking confused and lost. It was one of the vampires, not quite dead yet.

John approached him and raised his foot, intending to crush his skull underfoot like the insect he was, but was stopped.

"You still lose, noble boy."

Freezing for an infinitesimal second, he lowered his foot and crouched next to the dying vampire. "How do I lose?" He asked, his voice silky.

More choking laughter came as the soon-to-be corpse tried to re-inflate his lungs enough to get the words out. Finally, he said "We're not alone."

John froze.

"Ever since the wolf Lochley came home and told of your report, of the taste of Minbari blood, of its power... the lower bloods have been panting. The First Blood are continuing to complain about secrecy but... _all we have to do is enslave the Minbari and no one will ever challenge us!"_ John winced at the thought. The entire Minbari race used as livestock and concubinage by a race of sadists. His lips curled back.

"The First Blood would never allow it. King Neville and his guards will slaughter you."

More chokes. "There aren't enough of you noble fighters." Spat the bleeding rogue. "I'm not talking about a small group of us. I'm talking about _all of us_. We will all come to Minbar. We will all use them to enslave the other races, including the Humans. And we will all rule. And the so-called Monarchy can't stop us. All they can do is die."

Breath caught in John's chest as he thought of his blessed Monarchy dying. He couldn't stand the very idea. He looked back to his victim, intending to rip every piece of information from him. It was too late. His eyes were drained of colour as his blood settled out of them and the skin on the underside of his body as it lay on the floor darkened as all the blood in his body pooled, slowly pouring out of his wounds. John stood up, grimacing. Vampire blood didn't congeal in a dead body and it stained clothes like mad. He'd have to get Zack to clean it up ASAP. For now...

John turned to Delenn and Corwin, sighing. He should get them to his quarters. The two Minbari seamstresses had come to their senses and were staring around them with looks of horror. Mustering his charisma and telepathy, John reeled them both in and said "Help me move them to a safe place so we can help them." The two women rushed forward and began to prepare David and Delenn for moving.

That was when John realised that Lennier was gone.

***

As the Starfury he'd stolen docked with the Minbari ship, Garibaldi struggled to control himself. The whole world had tilted to the wrong angle and he only knew one thing- Minbar would be safe. With Jeff there, he was sure nothing bad could ever happen to him.

For the two days the Minbari trading vessel travelled to their Homeworld its Healer tried to see to Garibaldi wounds properly but he couldn't settle long enough before a flashback would have him on the other side of the room, screaming. By the time they got into Minbar's orbit his left arm was barely fully reattached to his shoulder and his legs still caved at odd moments. The wound on his neck still had the emergency bandage he had clung to in the Starfury and his chest and stomach convulsed with pain nearly constantly.

As the shuttle he'd been hustled onto came to landing, he looked out the window and saw Jeffrey Sinclair standing there. Next to him was an elderly Minbari in the robes of a Religious Caste Minbari.

Michael staggered off the shuttle as soon as he could and, barely able to think straight, he hurled himself into Jeff's arms.

"Jeff they're evil you gotta stop them they're demons or something and they tried to kill me cause they know I know about them but I don't know what they are but they're evil and you gotta stop them please..." The elderly Minbari gently stroked his shoulders and soothed him as Jeff looked at him with an unfathomable look on his face. Like part horror, part pain... and part hesitation. Like he'd been asked to do something he really didn't want to do.

The old man interrupted Michaels incoherent ranting. "It is alright now. We will take care of you. I will petition the Council of Caste Elders to grant you sanctuary here. You will be protected." As the Priest led a gasping Garibaldi away, they both missed the significant look Jeff threw to a tall, thin, dark haired man in a Rangers uniform who'd been watched the whole exchange with a hungry and impatient expression.

***

Susan stood at C+C's window, looking out. Corwin and Delenn were still recovering from the attack and were being treated by Franklin, who'd had the honour Susan begrudged him of being raised among vampires as their servant. Master was also with them- caring for them by hand every moment. Susan almost wished she'd been with them when they got hurt- it would have been worth it to be treated as such by her beloved Master.

**Upyr.**

_Shut up._

She looked down at the screen in front of her- just in time to see two anomalies in the records. Within moments she'd confirmed what she'd thought and rushed to her Master's quarters to tell him. Both Lennier and Garibaldi were off the Station. Garibaldi most likely on the missing Starfury and Lennier on the flyer he'd stolen from the launch bay.

***

"It is obscene!" Shouted Neroon. "We cannot grant an honour created only for Minbari to a _human_. It is wrong!"

"The Council has already decided Shai Alyt Neroon. Granting sanctuary and protection to one human requires very little resources and it is compassionate. Our moral duty would demand we act as such. Michael Garibaldi may remain under our protection for as long as he wishes."

The tall Warrior strode out of the room, growling in frustration. Every trick he could think of, from threats of enraging the Warrior Caste to wheedling explanations had provided nothing. If Garibaldi went missing now, or turned up dead, his Master and the others like him would be implicated. He couldn't allow that to happen but he couldn't stop it either. What to do?!

"You've already done enough Neroon." Said the silk voice he lived for. He turned to its source and sighed with ecstasy at the sight of his Master's face, the dark hair surrounding like a halo, the pale skin shining as if it truly glowed. The piercing silver eyes raking over his form in a way that made him shiver. The Higher Being's face smiled. "We cannot play now my sweet. I have a new mission for you"

"Anything Master." Gasped Neroon, his legs giving way under him at the thought of performing a mission for his Master, of how he would succeed, make his Master proud...

"Yes, you always make me proud my little Warrior. And I know you will do this well." Neroon leaned forward, his eyes shining with eagerness. "I need you to track down this flyer. All the details are here." His Master handed him a technical pad. "Track it down- and destroy it."

***

As that day drew to a close the unknowing and unwilling makers of the future of two worlds thought back on the events of the last few days, cataclysmic in their consequences, though only one of them knew it yet.

Zack Allan, 80 year old werewolf, cleaned up the stinking vampire blood from the floor in Downbelow as he thought, with some regret, about his good friend Michael Garibaldi. He really had liked the human, despite the racial differences. And now he'd have to kill him if he ever saw him again. He loathed the idea of doing it- and swore that he would if he ever could.

Lieutenant David Corwin, 27 year old human, lay back as his Master gently stroked his forehead, murmuring to him. He'd seen some of the fight, barely, and had seen what his perfect Owner had done for him and Delenn. He risked... He could have died. For David, at least partly. He could never let his Master risk his life again.

Michael Garibaldi, 35 year old human, his wounds bound up and his body shivering with fright as he ran through the landscapes of his mind, one moment on the Station, the other moment on Mars, chased by demons and laughing men with fangs and hulking monsters with fur pelts as he felt his soul and his mind shred away behind him...

Lennier of the Third Fane of Chudomo, 29 cycles old Minbari, sitting in a corner of his shuttle as the hellish fiery lights of Hyperspace purveyed the cabin, dark shapes coming from the blood red splotches of the vacuum outside, coming to get him he knew, coming to drain his blood and invade his body and violate his mind and his soul... take his soul... feed on it... his soul...

Rathenn of the Grey Council, 92 cycles old Minbari, sitting at his desk in Tuzenor, thinking back on his companion and, yes, even friend, Sinclair, thinking back on the look on the man's face when he'd been told his good friends was on his way in. His good friend, yes, Rathenn knew they were good friends. Then why had Sinclair looked angry, scared and at least a little betrayed when he'd learned of his friends flight?

Neroon of the Star Riders clan, 54 cycles old Minbari, sitting in his fighter, swore to himself and to his flyer, empty of any but him, that he would track down the flyer, track down the traitor Lennier, the one who intended to betray secrets he should have felt blessed even to know of, before he could do it. Before he could destroys Neroon's Master's life. He would destroy the treacherous Minbari priestling or die trying. In the name of William Cole.

Ambassador Jeffrey Sinclair, 79 year old Shapeshifter, his fur pelt gleaming in the moonlight as he sighed and fought back tears, thought of his good friend, his brother... His lover if Jeff could have brought himself to risk heartbreak and approach the man. Jeff loved him in more way than he thought possible and now he knew he'd come to a fork in the path of life. One path before him was the right path- the betrayal of everything he'd had and everything he'd wished he'd had between him and Michael, the murder of a man who was barely clinging on to his sanity- all in the name of the secret that had been kept for well over two thousand years. The other path was forbidden on so many levels, was barred from him, was one he shouldn't have even dreamed of. And it involved, first and foremost, breaking the Law of the Night Earthers... and hiding a human from the inescapable justice of the Night Council.

Captain John J Sheridan, 200 year old Fourth Blood vampire, thought about the apparently imminent destruction of his Monarchy, of everything that his heart beat for, in the horror of what he and his people were now facing-

A civil war among the Vampires.


End file.
